More long days and some good advice

8/7/08 19:20 Local Time, Broadcast Compound

I have come to the official conclusion that I love this job. I may not have gotten to swim in the pool last night like I was hoping, but I did get to be Rowdy Gaines for an hour during our swimming broadcast dress rehearsal. I sat in his place and talked into his headset to our director and commentated on the fake races being staged in the pool. And I got to play with his computer screen, too, where he draws his little lines and arrows when they show replays of the races. It was so cool -- all of the cameras and lights and everything were set up and the tapes were rolling right behind me. When I finished helping inside the venue, rehearsal was still going on so I went into the control room on our broadcast compound and watched the director and producer at work on their end of the broadcast. They walked me through everything they were doing and all the boards they were using. I love thinking about how they are the ones that essentially make every piece of the swimming broadcasts I've watched for so long.

We didn't get out of work last night until 12:30, which made yesterday a 15-hour work day for all of us aquatics interns. And we had to be back here at 9:00 this morning. The first thing I did this morning, though, was escort 6 or 7 U.S. divers onto our compound to talk to our diving producers and commentators. Shannon and I had to entertain the ones who weren't being interviewed at the time, and they were all really cool and fun to hang out with. They all look so young, but they're actually college students or recent graduates. And they're muscular beyond belief. I got to watch part of their practice later on this afternoon, too, which of course was exciting.

I had lunch today with Andrea Kremer, who thankfully was more than willing to talk to me about broadcasting when I started grilling her with questions about how she started. She gave me a lot of great advice on how to make a name for myself in this business. We talked for nearly 45 minutes, through all of which I was incredibly appreciative of her taking the time to help me out. It was definitely memorable advice that I couldn't have learned anywhere else.

I also was assigned my position today for when diving goes on air. I've been given the title "stage manager," which sounds a little more glamorous than it actually is, but it's definitely the best position I could get as an intern. Basically I get to sit in a chair between the 2 commentators in our diving broadcast booth in the Cube and wear a headset to talk to one of the guys back in our control room on the compound. I have to make sure our 2 diving talents, Cynthia Potter and another guy I haven't been introduced to yet, are where they need to be doing what they need to be doing with everything they need to do a successful broadcast. I've really just been given an unlimited access ticket to the best seat in the house for all of the diving competitions. I can't complain. I'm just still excited to hear for sure what I'll be doing for the swimming (I'm still seriously hoping for the Costas platform).

The Today Show is doing their live broadcast from the Ling Long Pagoda broadcasting tower as we speak. We're going to try to walk over there if it's still going on after work, but it's probably not going to happen.

Opening Ceremonies are finally tomorrow! Security has tightened up a lot around the Olympic Green and the streets are getting more crowded by the day. I can't believe it's actually about to happen. I'm so close to experiencing my very first Olympics!